Belmont occupies a special niche in the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of the country where it takes no small amount of character to stand out. Belmont is renowned for its vistas and views, which you can experience from its many parks, including the locally famous Waterdog Lake and Twin Pines Park. The city of 27,000 is perched on the hills, and is conveniently located halfway between San Francisco and San Jose, on the doorstep of Silicon Valley. Belmont is close to everything you’d possibly need, but it’s far enough removed from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco and Palo Alto that it maintains a level of peace and serenity otherwise unmatched on the Peninsula.

The hills aren’t the only lofty thing in Belmont. Education has always been a priority in the city- Carlmont High and Ralston Middle, Belmont’s two main schools, are both well-regarded Distinguished California Schools. The eye-catching architecture of Notre Dame de Namur University takes “higher education” literally – the university was built around the former villa of Italian aristocrat Count Cipriani. Besides the villa, Belmont is the site of a variety of other historic landmarks and public spaces.

You’d likely spend much of your time in Belmont near Twin Pines Park or Carlmont Center, both of which provide award-winning local restaurants and shops. Belmont is also known for pioneering a no-smoking initiative that has been particularly effective in addressing the dangers of secondhand smoke.